Today's Opinions

Most of the roughly 450 students who this week graduated from high schools in Shelby County – and in recent weeks peer institutions from around the world – likely perceive the passing of those diplomas as the metaphorical transformation from a 13-year trek through classrooms and textbooks to a lifetime of awesome and inspiring adventure.

The case against Enrique Olvera-Landaverde continues to perplex us. In fact, we don’t know if there is a case against Mr. Olvera-Landaverde. This all reads to us like lawyers run amok in a John Grisham novel.

If Mr. Olvera-Landaverde’s name does not ring familiar, you may recall that this is the man arrested when county and state police, operating on a tip from Mr. Olvera-Landaverde’s wife, raided his home near Southville in 2010 and collected nearly 800 pounds of marijuana and $60,000 in cash.

The case against Enrique Olvera-Landaverde continues to perplex us. In fact, we don’t know if there is a case against Mr. Olvera-Landaverde. This all reads to us like lawyers run amok in a John Grisham novel.

If Mr. Olvera-Landaverde’s name does not ring familiar, you may recall that this is the man arrested when county and state police, operating on a tip from Mr. Olvera-Landaverde’s wife, raided his home near Southville in 2010 and collected nearly 800 pounds of marijuana and $60,000 in cash.

In a column in March of last year, I wrote about what I called “the great divide” in our country, and things certainly haven’t changed since then. If anything, this divide has become more obvious and recognizable.

An article (“Businesses receive OK for expansions,” April 20) stated that in seeking its approval from the Triple S Planning Commission to expand, Katayama asked to use older lights on is building that are the same as what it currently has but do not meet the county’s new lighting standards.

The line drive whistled off the pink bat toward third base, where it scattered the dust when it landed untouched by a fielder. The batter took off toward first base, where a coach was encouraging a runner already there to move along toward second.

The little hitter stopped at first, and as each successive hitter made contact and followed her, she kept shuttling around the bases, until, after she crossed home, she headed back to first base, where she was detoured by the coach and told she could sit down.

We know there can be bureaucratic answers to many questions that befuddle us about why things are the way they are, but that does not preclude our asking one question we suspect is on the minds of many this week:
Why are students in school from now through June 4? Because they are required by state law to have 1062 hours – about 177 days – of “instruction.”

But we question whether there is any real instruction being given on these last few days.